What is the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act?
The Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act (EGSPA) was established in 2007. EGSPA’s vision is to fully integrate environmental sustainability and economic prosperity, which is essential to the well-being of the Province.
To this end, EGSPA currently has two primary objectives:
- demonstrate international leadership by having one of the cleanest and most sustainable environments in the world by 2020; and
- improve the Province’s economic performance to a level that is equal to or above the Canadian average by 2020.
To achieve these objectives, the Act sets out 21 specific goals spanning as far as 2020.
View the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act
Where are we now?
Nova Scotia Environment continues to work with government partners to achieve EGSPA’s over-arching objectives and ensure that the 21 goals contained within the Act are met within a reasonable time-frame.
Nova Scotia Environment releases an Annual Progress Report each year to report on the implementation of the Act. As of October, 2011, twelve targets have been met, one target has been extended, two targets are still in progress, one target is due the end of 2011 and five more targets have deadlines later than 2011.
The EGSPA yearly reports are available here.
Why is a review being conducted?
The Act requires that a review be conducted every five years by the Minister’s Round Table on Environment and Sustainable Prosperity. The Round Table includes volunteer members from the legal and academic communities, industry, and environment sectors (both private and non-governmental organizations) from many regions of the province who are appointed by the Minister.
The Minister issued a mandate letter to the Round Table on September 26, 2011 to request that they begin the review process. The objective of the review is to consider the Act and determine if it can be refined or improved in order to better fulfill its purposes.
The Act specifies that the Round Table report back to the Minister with recommendations for amendments and improvements in the implementation of the Act within six months.
What are the next steps?
Update (May 8, 2012): The Round Table completed their review of the Act and have submitted their report to the Minister, who tabled it in the Nova Scotia Legislature.
During this review, The Round Table conducted five public feedback sessions in Halifax, Truro Sydney, Wolfville and Yarmouth (between January 30 and February 15, 2012). Approximately 74 people attended these sessions. 95 written submissions were also received until January 31, 2012.
Documents relating to this review are available for download:
- Executive Summary (PDF: 195k).
- Full report (PDF: 226k) - Report to the Minister of Environment regarding the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act (EGSPA), March 26, 2012. Appendices separate.
- Appendix A (PDF: 78k) - Mandate Letter, Nova Scotia Roundtable on Environment and Sustainable Prosperity.
- Appendix B (PDF: 73k) - Questions for Written Feedback from the Public. Note: the consultation period has now closed.
- Appendix C (PDF: 136k) - Summary of Public Feedback from 2012 Review of EGSPA.
Nova Scotia Environment is currently reviewing the recommendations, and will be contacting key stakeholders for further discussion prior to proposing changes to the Act.
For further information or comments, please contact Nova Scotia Environment by email: policy@gov.ns.ca or by phone, toll-free: 1-888-320-0555.
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Additional resources
- jobsHere (PDF) - the plan to grow our economy
- Economic and Rural Development and Tourism (ERDT)